Mark Lerner said that barring a national crisis, President Bush will be throwing out the first pitch. "He's been warming up since December, I understand," said Mr. Lerner.
Yes!--and rightly so. There has been no question where The African Queen and I stand on this issue. We don't care about the politics when it comes to an Opening Day--First Pitch--By The President Of The United States.
President Bush or ANY SUBSEQUENT Presidential Office Holder should honor America's Pastime each and every Home Opener of Our Washington Nationals--if reasonably possible. We live in The Capital Of The Free World. Sohna and I respect The "OFFICE" OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA--whether we agree with the person's polices or not. The unique qualities of Washington, DC--we never take for granted.
Bravo--Mr. Bush!! Sohna and I will clap for you on March 30th--for only the second time since you took office.
April 14th, 2005--being the only other date--that fabulous night when Baseball Returned to Washington, DC after 33 longing years.
All the more reason to get to the park closer to 3:30 than to 8pm!
ReplyDeleteI wonder if this is also going to make it tougher to get into the park with my camera and camcorder...
I really enjoy your blog. I wonder if you'd like to take a look at mine -- it's at www.MoonStruckOverWashington.com.
ReplyDeleteI'm currently writing a book about the 1969 Washington Senators and I'd certainly like to know if you'd be interested in seeing it or talking to me about it once its published or nearing publication.
I really enjoy your positive outlook on the Nationals. There's so much negativity in the press and hostility in the blogsphere. Yours is a refreshing oasis.
I have to admit, I sometimes worry about baseball's future in DC with all the craziness like the city council wanting to put its silly sign at Nationals Park and how little attention the local media gives our team. I want to relax about baseball's future here, but I'm still worried things may go badly, especially attendance this year with all the focus on lack of parking.
People who say angry and ugly things about DC bother me..but, then again, people usually attack what they fear - I think folks who dislike DC are afraid of how popular baseball could become here if the Nats start to win consistently.
But I will always love baseball in Washington and keep the faith that it's going to work here. Thanks for helping me to remain hopeful!
SBF - You wrote that "we don't care about the politics when it comes to Opening Day", but then you proceeded to inject a little political commentary at the end. That was disappointing and unnecessary. I'm sure most of us look to your board to get away from all that and enjoy a respite of baseball and the Nats. We don't care that the only two times you've clapped for our President are Opening Day first pitches.
ReplyDeleteI won't clap. I won't boo either-i'll let the other several thousand or so do that for me.
ReplyDeleteI would, NEVER clap for him, and honestly having spoken to both of you about your views, I'm disappointed that you'd toss your well conceived convictions aside so easily. Granted, the "office holder" of the president of the United States should throw out the first pitch at each and every Nats home opener, however this one deserves no applause. I, with what I imagine is the vast majority of those in attendance, will be practicing my free speech that night. Let him show up and get what he is due. I love you both, as you know...but some things transend baseball. P. S. Curly told me to lighten up and enjoy spring training!
ReplyDeleteFor as long as I can remember, since the 1970s the Baltimore AngelOs had a permanent hold on opening the season at home, just in case the president wanted to throw out the first pitch. And the president did just that - Reagan twice, elder Bush four times, Clinton did it twice in Baltimore, as did movie-president Dave. My point? If MLB scheduled their season to give Baltimore a preference for opening the season at home to accomodate the president's schedule (not all presidents work so little as W, who has time to travel to a number of different parks, not just RFK 3 yrs ago), then MLB should give that home opener preference back to the NATIONALS. It is the patriotic and proper thing to do.
ReplyDeleteI can't beleive Bush has the guts to show his face in public after all of the damage he has caused to America and the world.
ReplyDeleteI for one will be booing myself horse.
You people that want to boo the Prez on opening night, just might make it so that we never get another president to come out and toss the first pitch again. Especially next year when it is President Obama. Thanks for ruining it for future opening days. The event of tossing out the fist pitch has nothing to do with politics. Why don't you cowards practice your right to free speech and do your booing in Lafayette Square with the rest of us.
ReplyDeleteI have a feeling that if even if the 44th President of the United States were a Democrat and likely to receive a standing ovation from Nationals Park, they will choose instead to travel to Wrigley Field or new Yankee Stadium...
ReplyDeleteSBF - You wrote that "we don't care about the politics when it comes to Opening Day", but then you proceeded to inject a little political commentary at the end. That was disappointing and unnecessary. I'm sure most of us look to your board to get away from all that and enjoy a respite of baseball and the Nats. We don't care that the only two times you've clapped for our President are Opening Day first pitches.
ReplyDeleteAnomynous, I believe SBF's comment was relevant because he is trying to show that he wants Bush to show up to revive a baseball tradition, rather than support policies (and a war) that have grown very unpopular.
I would, NEVER clap for him, and honestly having spoken to both of you about your views, I'm disappointed that you'd toss your well conceived convictions aside so easily. Granted, the "office holder" of the president of the United States should throw out the first pitch at each and every Nats home opener, however this one deserves no applause. I, with what I imagine is the vast majority of those in attendance, will be practicing my free speech that night. Let him show up and get what he is due.
First off, Anomynous, I don't know if you are the same poster as the person I am responding to earlier or somebody else. If you do not wish to reveal your real name, is it too much to ask the "Annies" to pick a unique user name?
Secondly, your post is why I am very worried about Opening Night if President Bush indeed shows up. Dick Cheney was booed loudly in 2006 (which I attended) and out-of-town papers noted it. I'm not worried about Bush being booed. I worried about THUNDEROUS boos, along with numerous political signs, and protestors dressed up in costumes like what Code Pink does at events like last year's July 4 proclamation of independence at the National Archives. I worry that if protests at the ballpark are big enough, they will overshadow the game and put a bad light on Nationals fans. But I will only be watching on TV, so I can only cross my fingers and hope.
One more thing. Just for the sake of argument, SBF's political sentiments ran differently. (Make no mistake, there ARE die-hard Nats fans who are staunch Republicans.) I'm sure he would have added something along the lines of "I proudly voted for Bush twice, but if it were Hillary Clinton or Jimmy Carter out there, I'd still applaud for this one night."
ReplyDeleteThe point is that this is---or at least should be---more than mere politics. On a similar note, I should say that I had the opportunity to boo Mayor Adrian Fenty at the home opener last year. After all, if he had his way, there would be no stadium and no team for us to enjoy. However, I felt that since that battle was over, something more important was at stake so I applauded. So did most of the other fans. If for some reason, the POTUS cannot throw out the first ball in Washington on Opening Day, the elected mayor in my opinion would be a fine substitute.
I agree with E.J.C.'s sentiments.
ReplyDeleteOh please! What is with you liberals! Do you have to be so filled with hate that you cannot be quiet for one day? You brainwashed mind-numbed robots! SBF is right -- We honor the office.
ReplyDeleteThis will not be popular with you Democrats, but President Bush has done a tremendous job as our leader. He had the B--LS to take on the terrorists as wartime enemies and not as mere criminal defendants! If Clinton had not been trysting with office workers, maybe he could have dealt with Bin-Laden when he was being served up to him in the late '90s by the leaders of another country.
Clinton was a disgrace -- he sullied the Oval Office. He abandoned his liberal principles to make deals with Newt Gingrich to save his job in 1996. He made no long lasting contribution to this country. Thus, his pathetic wife looks for a do-over to make up for the lost eight years they spent in the White House in the 1990s.
OBAMA '08!
SBF -- No more politics please! It's not fair to expect everyone to keep quiet when the topic is opened up here and the nuts like myself come out!
First, let me say I am a staunch Republican with very little patience for the Leftist, America hating, Military hating, Bush hating, crowd that gladly drinks the Kool-Aid that the liberal press serves up.
ReplyDeleteAll that being said, I didn't have any problem with SBF's post. I didn't read anything into his political beliefs. He just believes the President should throw out the first pitch every year in Washington. And I agree. No matter what party he/she is from he/she should be able to so without being booed.
This may be an unpopular opinion here, but people should have the right to voice their feelings when the President or someone of authority kicks off a sporting event.
ReplyDeleteSorry, if that may offend.
I personally have respect for the office of the President, no matter my beliefs, and I would never boo him in public; however, to expect people to stand at attention for him and cheer when they can do otherwise is pretty un-American.
You can boo or cheer for the President of the United States or stand quietly or stay seated or go to get something to eat or go to the bathroom or pray to yourself or just scan the beauty of the new park as he walks out of the Nationals dugout and proceeds to the mound to throw out the first ball at the new Nationals Park.
ReplyDeleteThis is part of my new Leave No President Behind & Live and Live Act which has not passed Congress, nor has it been introduced, but has as good a chance of succeeding in this Congress during an election year as most Federal legislation...
Trust in 1910 and William Howard Taft's 300 plus pounds corpus to put some real mustard on that first ever Presidential ceremonial pitch for a Nationals game. All Good.
See this for why Bush might not want to throw that 1st ball at this horribly misplaced stadium; this ties directly with his criminal politically directed use of warrant less surveillance to subvert the 1st amendment.
ReplyDeletehttp://wwwfreespeechbeneathushs.blogspot.com/2006_10_01_archive.html
It's best to think of this stadium like the other temporary buildings on the National Mall that were eventually torn down, so we can build NCPC's South Capitol Mall.
4th Amendment, isn't it? (And don't be forced to house any New York Yankees against your will, either....)
ReplyDeleteTrust in Reasonable Suspicion and Probable Cause. All Good.
Both the 1st and the 4th via illegal wiretapping (aka cell phones, particularly Jesuit Verizon) as revenge for my blog spotlighting the sort of planning behind this misplaced stadium that intrudes upon the space for the DC South Capitol Mall:
ReplyDeletehttp://wwwsouthcapitolstreet.blogspot.com/2006_10_01_archive.html
http://wwwsouthcapitolstreet.blogspot.com/2006_03_01_archive.html
http://wwwfreespeechbeneathushs.blogspot.com/2006/10/south-capitol-mall-blogger-ambushed.html
http://wwwfreespeechbeneathushs.blogspot.com/2007/10/verizon-wireless-ceo-chairman-of-board.html
http://wwwfreespeechbeneathushs.blogspot.com/2007/10/criminal-bush-adminstration-wiretaps.html
Douglas A. Willinger,
ReplyDeleteAre you still wearing the tinfoil hat in your parents' basement?
Douglas,
ReplyDeleteYou wouldn't happen to be a Kool-Aid drinker would you? Let me guess...Liberal Hater-Berry?
Lighten up fella, take a few deep breaths and have a beer or three and enjoy reading SBF's excellent player interviews. "God Bless America!"
You have a very low standard for our government.
ReplyDeleteThis stadium is an absolute disgrace that was fostered through strong arming the DC City Council to reverse its vote in a likely illegal after hours session.
Think of it as a temporary building that serves as a monument to an arrogant political elite that has long ago lost its credibility.
Also think of it as the hubris of the apostate counter reformation trash that played their hand and revealed their excessive power.
The Lunatic Fringe, we know you're out there. Try to stay home March 30th. If not, this is for you:
ReplyDeleteThe president will throw the first pitch across the plate. I'll throw the second, which will be any clown near me who has the temerity to sully this joyous event with an obnoxious outburst.
Nobody gives a damn about your left wing politics. Take it to Denver this summer and shout at all of your other like-minded morons.
If they can stand you, either.
It figures that you are too ashamed to even post your name.
ReplyDeleteDon't get too attached to that stadium, and don't cry over its post epiphany demolition.
GWB, is one of the best Presidents of this century. It just goes to show how stupid the American people can be, after this we are going to get what we deserve. Unfortunately.
ReplyDelete